Manufacturing Feminism - SPICIER

^{Opening image courtesy of Vaughan Arnell}

Can a manufactured girl band like the 'Spice Girls' authentically embody the values of the 90s 'Girl Power'?

(This article was written for my zine 'Spicier', dedicated to the Spice Girls and their legacy. 'Spicier' combines fashion writing and reflective articles, featuring interviews with writer and University of Notre Dame professor Sara Marcus, author and journalist Lucy O'Brien, the Spice Girls' former hair stylist Jenny Roberts, and make-up artist Karin Darnell.)

On March 4, 1994, hundreds of girls rallied at the Danceworks Studios in London to audition for an ad published in 'The Stage', in hope of being part of the next big thing. A month later, Victoria, Geri, Mel B, Mel C and Emma became the Spice girls.

Racing full speed through the desert in a 1970 Dodge Charger to frenetic synth lines, the Spice Girls set the electrifying scene for their “Say You’ll Be There” music video. In a captivating performance of the catchy pop song, the five members transform into sensually intrepid cartoon-like creatures. The message is clear: they are more than the fun girls we saw in the 'Wannabe' video, running around the former Midland Grand Hotel in their playful outfits. Dressed in black mini skirts, latex co-ords, and leopard bustiers as they emerge from the vintage sports car, we’re presented with five women - NOT girls. Immersed in a fictional universe heavily inspired by Russ Meyer’s sexy exploitation movie “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”, the girls take turns up close and personal with the camera, as the other bandmates give a sultry performance of their own in the background. 

The Spice Girls were all about “Girl Power”, and, on a surface level, that is what they were promoting. There is no denying that these were the true intentions of the band members, although, despite technically being a role model for an entire generation of women, Geri still described feminism as “bra-burning lesbianism” in an interview with The Guardian 2007. (Apparently, the message didn’t really stick there either.) There are thus some key elements to factor in when reflecting on the legitimacy of their message - the most important being that the band originally was an industry plant created by men. We come to question its authenticity especially when being confronted with music videos such as “Say You’ll Be There”, which deliberately reduced their strong, powerful personas to over-sexualised fantasies gratifying the male gaze. “The Spice Girls’ approach to feminism didn’t have much substance. I found that my students who were from that generation didn’t feel secure in solidarity with other women, and that they hadn’t really learned the implementation of boundaries”, says author and journalist Lucy O’Brien, whose work focuses on women in music.  

^{Image courtesy of Barb Robbins}

Before the Spice Girls, feminism and female empowerment were mainly endorsed by the Riot Grrrl movement, and rebelliously loud female punk bands who, despite their fighting spirit, resonated with only a small niche of the population. Conventionally pretty girls and catchy slogans were far more effective in infiltrating the mainstream, and conveying a message which perhaps wasn’t 100% theirs. “At the time, their ‘Girl Power’ certainly felt like it was being manufactured. Since then, I look back and think they were a little more than that in the excitement they created around being strong, feisty women,” continues Lucy. “They definitely registered their presence in that way.”  

SEXUALISATION 

When the Spice Girls first entered the music scene, society was drifting further and further away from feminist ideals. As pop musicians were progressively reduced to entertainment objects, their wardrobes evolved accordingly. Dresses got shorter, tops got sheerer… Yet, women had to preserve some kind of untouchable innocence. In David Sinclair’s book “Wannabe”, ABSOLUTE pop writers and producers Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins described the girls to be “all like little Lolitas”. This perverse fetishisation is perfectly characterised by Emma, aka Baby Spice. “She looked about 16,” continued Watkins. With her pigtails and big, blue, innocent eyes, the Spice Girl represented the ideal “woman-child”. Adorned in lingerie-inspired baby blue tops and lacy midi dresses, her trusty pair of Buffalos protected the fragile equilibrium between seductive attire and child-like attributes.  

Baby and the rest of the band’s youthful energy didn’t escape the attention of the media, as the press took a malicious pleasure in scrutinising any change in their bodies or potential wardrobe malfunctions. Some might remember when Geri made all the front pages when she wore her Jessica Rabbit-inspired sequin dress at the 1997 Brit Awards, and photographers caught an unfortunate nip slip on camera.  

As the group was pushing their famous “Girl Power” persona, imparting ideas of feminism, empowerment, and sisterhood to their fans, their simultaneous intense sexualisation and behaviour created a complex paradoxical combination implying that, in order to be “empowered” and embrace feminist ideals, a girl had to sexualise herself. 

^{Image courtesy of Peter Robathan}

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